What Once Was Left Behind
by Tempy
Summary: Brennan is bothered by her past she has kept as a secret. She finds out that Agent Samantha Pickering has been intrested in her mysterious past. Soon Brennan finds herself on the run from her past, and present!
1. Chapter 1

Temperance Brennan sat in her office and sipped her coffee. The sun shone from behind the blinds of her office throwing shadows and making her brown hair glow. It wasn't usual for Brennan to just sit and do nothing but she had been waiting for some test results for two hours already. She had nothing to do, she had done all the paper work and she didn't feel like writing more to her book. She glanced around her office. Everything was tidy. She sighed. Brennan did not like waiting and just sitting without doing anything. She took another sip from her black coffee. She tried to just relax and let go but then she had enough. She couldn't stand doing nothing. Brennan was afraid of sinking to her thoughts. To her memories that haunted her. Work usually helped her to forget but now she didn't have anything to do and she could see her haunting memories flashing in her mind like a poorly made movie. Blood everywhere, dead people, lifeless eyes. Flashes from Brennan's trips: people travelling with her dying, gun fire, and government people hunting Brennan down on the mountains in China. Brennan couldn't stand it anymore, she took her purse and decided to leave.

Brennan walked through the spotless laboratory where she saw her colleagues, Zack, Jack and Angela talking and laughing. They were the closest thing to friends for Brennan. "Hey sweetie!" Angela greeted smiling when she noticed Brennan. Angela's sunny cat-like grin gave away her energetic nature. "Hey Ange, Im gonna go to the gym for a while." Brennan answered. She did not usually go to the gym but now she thought it would not be time wasting to practice some martial arts. Angela nodded and Brennan left with a relieved mind now that she had figured something to do.

Ange watched Brennan leave. She knew that she was going to go to do some sack beating. Ange smiled to herself. She had tried for weeks to get Brennan out of the lab and now, without her dragging, Brennan just left without any help. To the gym though, Ange would have preferred a club, but it was better that nothing.

At the gym Brennan had already started. She was about to hit the sack when one of the gym officers, a freckle faced guy, came to her offering boxing cloves. Brennan looked at the cloves irritated. "If someone attacks me on the street and I have to put up a fight, I sure won't be wearing any boxing cloves." She pointed out in her matter-affect voice. The freckle guy looked at her strangely but left her alone. Temperance started punching by making different kicks to the sack, and then she rolled some gauze around her hands to support the wrists. Then she started punching. She punched the sack harder than she had punched before. She wanted to drown all of her memories and just punch, as hard as she could.

Seeley Booth entered the Jeffersonian's lab. He did not like the lab particularly but he felt relieved when he was there because from there he could always find answers. Answers for most his cases. Now he was looking for the person who always brought him most answers. Dr. Temperance Brennan, or Bones, as he liked to call her. She didn't appreciate that nick name though.

He walked to the main lab's area and saw Hodgkins, Zack an Angela laughing and talking. He wasn't surprised when he didn't see Brennan with them but he was surprised when they seemed not to be working at all. Booth walked to the squints, as he called them. Angela greeted Booth with a little grin-like smile. "Hey Booth" She said and Zack and Hodgins gave quick smiles too. "Hey Ange, where's Bones?" Booth asked giving a smile too. "Oh, you just missed her. She left to the gym." Ange answered. Booth looked amazed. "Are you saying that Bones, the Bones we all know, has actually left the lab to do aerobics?" He asked with a wide grin. "Yes, but not to do aerobics, more like boxing." Ange answered rolling her eyes and gave Booth directions to the gym.

Booth entered the gym lobby. He looked around and saw people bristling on the corridors with their sweatpants and t-shirts. It was weird for him to even think Bones would hang around in a place like this. Then he walked to the reception counter. A man, who seemed either very bored or very tired, raised his look from his newspaper. "Yes?" He asked when Booth was still glancing around. "Where I can find the boxing area?" Booth asked focusing now to the receptionist. "Turn left after that door" The receptionist answered pointing at a door on the right side of Booth. Booth was about to go to the door but then the receptionist seemed to suddenly wake up. "Do you have members card?" He asked. "No." Booth answered irritated. He just wanted to find Brennan. "Sorry, members only." The receptionist said with his cold business voice. Booth flashed his FBI ID card. "Im just trying to find someone." "Ok, hold on." The receptionist said and picked up the phone. "Hey Jerry, could you come here, some guy from the FBI needs little help on finding someone at the gym." Booth heard him say.

After five seconds, a young fitness looking guy, with freckled face, came through the door where the receptionist had pointed earlier. "Hey, Im Jerry." He greeted Booth. "I bet you are here for that woman at boxing area." Jerry said. "I guess so." Booth said. He wasn't even sure who he was talking about, but he had talked about boxing area and Ange had told that's where Brennan would be. Jerry talked non stop while they walked. "I knew that the feds had to be looking for her, she hits like a crazy person! Or like a professional killer!" Jerry said waving his hands as if to make a point. "I must say I would never go near her, she has scared all of our staff by now…she doesn't even use any boxing cloves!" He continued. Booth cocked his eyebrow, now he wasn't feeling so confident about finding Brennan, she knew how to hit, but she wasn't _that_ crazy the freckled guy described.

They now entered a little boxing hall. Booth looked around. No one was punching their sacks; they were staring at a woman who really knew how to punch. They all were looking at Dr. Temperance Brennan. "You see? She's done that like for like an hour non stop! Without cloves!" Jerry said motioning at Brennan who still hadn't noticed that even some of the staff had gathered to see her accurate, strong punches and kicks. Booth looked at her. She really punched harder that Booth had ever seen anyone punch at any practise situations. And she had been doing that for an hour non stop! "Thanks Jerry, that's the one I have been looking for." Booth said. He still watched Brennan punching. She didn't even seem like she would need to take a break. Only thing that indicated that she was human, not a machine, was sweat stains on her black top.

Brennan tried to concentrate to the punching. She still saw those unnerving flashes from her past. She started to hit and kick even harder._ "Punch, punch, kick, punch again…"_ She repeated in her mind as she did series' of kicks and punches trying to just forget. _"Punch, kick, kick, swift, kick, punch…"_ She continued but it faded the memories only little. She could still see all those awful things. She punched harder, she kicked harder. Only because she didn't want to remember.

"Hey Bones!" Booth shouted grinning. He saw how that nickname affected to already amazed staff and other boxers. They probably thought it was a nickname that she had gotten from killing people. Brennan turned around and looked slightly surprised to see him. "Booth, haven't I told you not to call me Bones?" Brennan said now frowning in irritation. Booth noticed little blood on Brennan's knuckles but he decided not to say anything. Brennan took off the bandages from her wrists and walked to Booth. He saw weird look on her face, like she'd been drowned to her thoughts.

After Brennan had changed her clothes they both finally stepped out of the gym, Booth still smirking for the looks on people's faces when he had called Brennan Bones and Brennan seemed to notice the wounds on her knuckles. "Are you okay?" Booth finally asked. Brennan raised her eyes from her knuckles. "Why did you come to pick me from the gym?" She asked changing the subject. Booth frowned but decided not to tangle into that. "I was just coming to tell you that agent Pickering has been asking stuff about you recently." Brennan raised her look directly to Booth's eyes now.


	2. Chapter 2

Agent Samantha Pickering had been investigating Brennan and her colleagues for the State Department for possible security risks. But when she had questioned Brennan, there were some things that she should have not asked. Brennan had called much higher officers than Pickering, or even the head of State Department, and Pickering was forced to stop the investigation and destroy the file of Dr. Temperance Brennan. Pickering, however, had a copy of that file no one knew existed anymore, except the head of State Department. Pickering hadn't even remembered the existence of that copy herself but now she was once again flipping its pages in order of her bosses.

She knew that if she would be found with this file she could have been accused of deceiving her country. It was always a very serious matter if a file had to be destroyed. But Pickering was intrigued what was going on. She had asked some questions from Agent Seeley Booth who, after all, was often associating with this mysterious Dr. Brennan. The fact was: Pickering did not trust Dr. Brennan and didn't feel comfortable knowing that government gave her confidential entail without questioning. Pickering wondered why and she wanted to find out. So did the head of State Department but they didn't want anyone to know. Besides Pickering, only they knew about the existence of that file. And they wanted to keep it that way. Pickering concentrated on reading the file as she rolled a pluck of her light colored hair between her fingers.

Booth had seen a tiny flash of what looked like worry in Brennan's sharp eyes when he had mentioned agent Pickering. "What has she been asking?" Brennan asked after a long time of silence. "Just little stuff, like what kind of personality you have, or how long have you been working at the Jeffersonian's Institute…That kind of stuff." Booth answered shrugging and shoving his hands to his suit pockets. "Why are they asking about me?" Brennan asked with a neutral voice as they walked towards Booth's Dodge. "I was hoping you could tell me that." Booth said carefully as they now climbed to the car. He didn't want to tick Brennan with too personal questions. "I don't know." She answered but something told Booth that Brennan wasn't telling everything. It wasn't something new that Brennan left something untold, that made Booth sometimes feel so frustrated. Brennan was a closed book, locked behind a vault that was buried to a grave under the ocean that seemed so calm. That she was most of the time or seemed to be.

The ride to the Jeffersonian had been quiet as many of the car rides they made together were. But Booth was surprised that Brennan hadn't started to snap at him at all. That wasn't usual behavior from her and Booth was now little worried, but he also knew that if he would start asking if she was okay Brennan would take it like Booth would think that because she's a woman she'd be weaker. Then she would seriously snap at him and he didn't feel like fighting at the moment. And seemed like that Brennan wasn't in the mood either, so Booth kept it quiet.

Booth and Brennan stepped inside the Jeffersonian lab area where Angela, Hodgins and Zack were now talking about the test results of decomposed body. Brennan was happy to see the results were ready. "Thanks for the ride." Brennan said to Booth. "I need to go make a phone call." She said and strolled to her office.

Booth watched Brennan practically running to her office. He went to Angela, Zack and Hodgins. "So, Booth, you have any case for us to solve?" Hodgins asked smiling his squinty smile. "No, not actually." Booth answered. "Really? Then what are you doing in here?" Angela asked and cocked her eyebrow. This made Booth little uncomfortable because he could obviously see what she was thinking. "Are you here to ask Brennan finally on a date then?" She asked grinning with her hands folded on her chest. Yup, Booth had guessed what she had been thinking. "No! I just had to tell her that Pickering had been asking stuff about her." Booth said very defensively. This reaction of Booth made Angela grin even wider and she was now sure about Booth's feelings towards Brennan, more than ever. "So? Are you afraid that Pickering beats you to it? Im sure that Brennan isn't into that!" Ange said teasing still grinning widely. "Agent Pickering is homosexual?" Zack asked surprised rising his look from the test results. "No Zack, it was just a joke." Ange answered rolling her eyes and sighing.

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I apologise for all the possible typos...I might have missed something. Ah well, English isn't my native language, so some typos Im allowed to miss LOL :P


	3. Chapter 3

Brennan opened the locked safe she had in her office. She dug through papers till she found a small piece of paper with a series of numbers on it. She grabbed it and stuffed it to her jacket pocket.

Brennan let out a sigh of relief. She stepped out of her office and saw Booth talking with her colleagues. She walked to them. "So the test results are ready?" Brennan asked with her pure business voice. Zach handed her a file with the results. "Sweetie! What happened to your hands?" Ange asked her eyes shining from worry when she saw Brennan's wounded knuckles. "Oh, nothing, I just punched the sack little too hard." Brennan answered mumbling as she started to go over the file, reminding herself to go and wash her hands from the small blood spots. "Excuse me." Brennan heard someone say behind her with seamy voice.

Booth looked at the skinny little guy who clearly was working for some delivery company. "I have a delivery for Dr. Temperance Brennan." The guy said with cheery voice that made Booth feel sick. Brennan turned, signed the paper the delivery guy was handing and took an envelope from him. Brennan opened the envelope and Booth saw how Brennan's body language changed. She had been pretty much her normal self but now she seemed to suddenly get tensed up. The difference was so settle that no one else noticed but Booth, who had been dealing with body language more than any of the squints, noticed it clearly. Booth couldn't see what was in the envelope but it seemed to get Brennan on her toes.

Brennan looked at a photograph that had been in the envelope. It was a picture of her. She was in military clothes and she was holding a M24 sniper's weapon. She was smiling with an African mercenary man standing next to her holding a rival weapon. Their clothes had huge spots of blood but they both were smiling. "What is it?" Ange asked trying to see what Brennan was holding. "Nothing, just a boring paper." Brennan closed the envelope. "I have to go and do some paperwork. " She said with flat voice, turned on her heels and left to her office.

Booth, Ange and Hodgins glanced at each other worried. Zack hadn't noticed anything to be worry about, as usual. But others knew something was bothering Brennan. Ange knew this from the fact that Brennan never said some paper was boring. She looked at Brennan walking away. Brennan was acting weird.

Brennan sat in front of her desk leaning to her hand with her forehead. She looked at the photo of her and a man. All her memories of the time that picture had been taken flashed in her mind like a crappy silent movie, those familiar flashes that didn't seem to leave her alone. She felt mentally in pain, things that she had tried to forget for years came now all back because of one single photo. She remembered all about her trip to Cuba, and from there to South Africa, near the Kalahari Desert. She remembered her questioning after this trip. She still could hear her own words in her head, the answers to questions they had made for her. Brennan rubbed her temples, the memories started to hurt even physically. Brennan looked at the photo and thought who could have sent her this photo. Brennan raised her eyes. "Pickering." She said realizing Pickering could have gotten hold of this photo too if someone else could have. "Pickering? What about her?" Brennan heard someone say. She looked at the door and saw Booth. "Nothing." Brennan answered waving her hand dismissing him. Now Booth looked really suspicious, _or was it worry_ that Brennan saw in his eyes? Brennan didn't stop to dwell on it for she wasn't a people person. She put the envelope and the photo quickly into he purse.

Booth watched Brennan. She clearly was not telling something. He frowned as he watched Brennan get up taking her purse. "Where are you going now?" Booth asked. "Not that it's any of your business but I have a meeting with-- an old friend." Brennan answered hesitating what to call the person she was going to go visit. Booth was surprised of how defensively she suddenly acted. Booth raised his hands showing he gave up. "I was just asking." Brennan looked at him with little confused eyes. She didn't mean to sound so defensive. Booth looked deep in Brennan's eyes. There was something in them that Booth recognized but he couldn't explain it. Something so familiar, but something that Booth felt like he had forgotten. Brennan barged pass Booth through her office door before Booth could think about it more. For the first time he noticed how much of Brennan's moods he had been able to see. That was weird, this Booth knew, because Brennan never, _ever_, showed her emotions. No matter what, no matter how experienced Booth was with human behavior, he had never been able to read Brennan this much. Well it was maybe only a little, but in Brennan's case it was much. And the worst part was that Booth felt like this was _not_ a good thing.


	4. Chapter 4

Brennan looked at the small paper she dug from her brown jacket's pocket. She rolled the numbers in her head. It was a simple code, made just for her. After rolling the numbers for a while she knew what they meant. She raised her look and walked to her car preparing to make a phone call along the way.

"It is truly nice to see you, it's been long since the last time we saw, my Themba." An African man greeted Brennan and hugged her. "Nice to see you too Jasiri." She answered giving him a smile. "So…You are still calling me Themba?" Brennan asked cocking her eyebrow. "Of course, as long as I remember what you did for me and the others, I will call you Themba." Jasiri answered with deep respectful voice. Brennan looked at the few scars that striped otherwise smooth, dark cheek of his. Brennan remembered when they had both been in South-Africa. Jasiri was the man from the photograph. They had both been serving in Africa for a project, founded by the government of USA. The project was a secret, no one knew about it, only few higher officers of the government and those who had participated to it. Brennan had been one of those participators. She raised her hand to Jasiri's cheek and run her fingers on the long scars feeling pain for her friend. "I had many names back then." Brennan said with faint voice placing her hand back on the table. "Yes, but only few of them really told something about you." Jasiri comforted.

They were sitting at an ethic restaurant that had specialized in African food. All the workers had an African origin. The chairs and tables were mahogany and the curtains were red and beautifully decorated. "You come here often?" Brennan asked looking around and giving a slight smile. "My brother owns this place and my nephew works in here, so yes." Jasiri smiled. A young looking waiter approached them with a shy smile. "Here he is… my nephew, Antar!" Jasiri said smiling and hugged the young waiter, who looked so flimsy, as Jasiri pulled him to his strong arms. "This woman here is the woman I told you about, the one who was with me and the others in Africa." Jasiri introduced Brennan with a proud voice and a grin. Antar's eyes grew wide, he looked so surprised. "Really?" Antar then said looking suspicious. Jasiri answered with a laugh. "One too many stupid questions my boy, now go and get us some food." Jasiri said smiling. Brennan smiled too as she watched the boy rush to the kitchen behind the bar.

Pickering sipped her fresh coffee. She was sitting opposite of a man called Mutegi. He was an old army sniper from Africa. He had been on a death row but he had offered Pickering some information trying to get more time to live. Information about Dr. Brennan's iffy past. Pickering looked Mutegi right into his eyes, he never smiled, never, and she did not like him. She even suspected that he had never smiled in his life. Pickering looked at Mutegi's wrinkly, unshaved face. The man didn't have the friendliest face and if Pickering ran into a guy like that on a street, she would have assumed he was there to mug her.

Mutegi had talked, but not much about Brennan. "I want to know about Dr. Temperance Brennan." Pickering said with her demanding, questioning voice. "She was feared amongst some of the locals, specially the rebels, some of them respected her." Mutegi answered to her demand with slight African accent. "She even had names amongst the locals, and amongst the mercenaries." He continued with a rough, seamy voice. There was a scar on his neck. Pickering had heard that it was from a fight where someone had cut his throat, it had happened years and years ago but the scar was still very clear. "She was called often Machui, which means, like a leopard." He told. Pickering frowned staring at Mutegi who was only looking at his hands. "Why?" She asked. To her it seemed that Mutegi was now just rambling. "She was feared, they said she could walk as quiet as a leopard, and they said that she could kill like one too." He answered taking a sip from his water glass that had been placed on the table from his request. "But that wasn't the worst name." He then continued as Pickering was writing it down. The conversation was recorded too but Pickering made notes just incase. "She was also called Ghinjo, which means slaughter and the other name was Njoki, she who returned from the dead." Mutegi now looked directly to Pickering's eyes.

"Amongst your, American's troops and amongst some locals she was known as Akilah, that means intelligent, or Karama, which means honor, and respect. " Mutegi said and then he paused. "So?" Pickering said with frustrated voice, this rambling wasn't helpful at all. "The names tell you what you need to know about her." Mutegi took another sip from the water glass. "One member of the troops called her Themba too, that means Trusted." He added then he was quiet again staring at his hands. Pickering frowned at him feeling slight irritation. "She was trusted and respected. She was intelligent and honorable, but she could kill like a leopard, quiet, fast and effectively." Mutegi cleared to Pickering who clearly wasn't into riddles. "But why does a leopard kill? Because it has to." Mutegi said folding his hands on his chest wearing a satisfied grin on his face. He drummed the three fingers he had left in his right hand against the left arm as if waiting for Pickering to leave. Pickering looked at him with confused eyes; she clearly saw he wasn't going to open this small word game to her.

Jasiri's face turned serious when Brennan showed him the picture of the two of them and told about Pickering. "How is this possible?" Jasiri asked shaking his head and holding the picture in his hand. Brennan shook her head. "I do not know." She said with a tired voice. "They might be after us now." Jasiri said with hate and fear flashing in his eyes. And with 'they' Brennan knew he didn't only mean Pickering's office. "But how did they found out about us?" Temperance asked frowning. Then as she looked at Jasiri she saw that he had someone in his mind. "Mutegi, he's in a death row, he would love to change that little fact." He sighed. Brennan leaned back in her chair wiping off a small chuck of hair that had slipped to her forehead. "Don't worry Temperance, I will take care of that. " Jasiri said with sincere voice. He would do anything to protect the ones he respected, Brennan knew that, and that also worried her. "Now, it's better that you go, we can't take too many risks of being seen together." Jasiri said. Brennan nodded, got up taking her purse. She pushed open the restaurant door leaving without the lunch they had been waiting. But that wasn't important now.

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Im sorry it took me this long to post this. The school stuff pretty much kept my life on hold. But now Im gonna try to post more often… It helps that I still have few more chapters ready to go.


	5. Chapter 5

Ange had been talking to Booth for a while after had Brennan left. Ange had told Booth that this time of the year had been always somehow difficult for Brennan but now this was even odder than any other year. Booth thought about that conversation, he couldn't figure out why Brennan would hate this time of the year. It was not about her parents' disappearance; it had happened at the end of the year. Booth sat in front of his desk and tried to think when he heard a familiar voice from behind him. "Agent Booth, I would have few more questions." Booth turned sighing and saw agent Pickering standing two feet away from him. "Yes agent Pickering, what do you want to know now?" Booth folded his hands on his chest looking now cockier.

Pickering sat down on a chair in front of Booth's desk. "Has Dr. Brennan ever been in South- Africa?" Pickering asked taking her note book from her briefcase. "I don't know, probably yes, I'm not her guardian. She's traveled a lot." Booth answered wondering why she wouldn't just ask from Brennan herself. "Have you ever seen this man with her?" Pickering asked giving Booth a photograph. Booth frowned. He saw Brennan in military clothes holding M24 sniper gun. Her clothes had huge stains that Booth recognized to be blood, yet she was smiling in relief at a man standing next to her. The man was clearly African mercenary, Booth would recognize them anywhere. The man was smiling at Brennan and he too had blood in his clothes. "No, only black guy I have seen Bones with is Mr. Goodman" Booth answered with cold, irritated voice folding his hands on his chest. He did not like the position he had now got caught because of Pickering's weird curiosity about Bones.

Angela was talking to Zach about the results they had received earlier when Booth suddenly barged in to the lab. "Where is Brennan?" He looked so tensed that Ange backed up a step. "She's in her office I guess. " She answered and wasn't sure, if that was the right thing to do. She watched as Booth headed to Brennan's office. Even Zach was staring at him surprised. "Brennan must have done something really bad to make him that angry." He commented.

Brennan did some paperwork feeling relieved when she had something to do again. "Why is she after you?!" Brennan startled when Booth barged in almost shouting the question. "Booth! What are you doing in here?!" Brennan stared at him surprised and irritated. "I m asking you a question." He answered folding his hands over his chest like a stubborn little brat. Brennan frowned and stood up feeling annoyance bubbling inside her.

Booth watched as Bones stood up from her office chair and he immediately regretted he had almost yelled at her. Brennan actually really looked mad this time. Booth was so surprised about that but before he got a chance to try to apologize Brennan opened her mouth. "You come here and barge to _my_ office yelling and asking about things that _clearly_ doesn't concern you! If you actually have some cells in your brain they are not doing a very good job!" Brennan yelled. Booth hadn't really yelled, only talked with raised tone of voice, but Brennan, she was really yelling, almost roaring, at him. Booth tried to get words out of his mouth but Brennan cut in. "You know what? Get out!" Brennan said with raised tone. Booth was so stunned by this than he didn't even get a change to react before Brennan had already shooed him from her office.


	6. Chapter 6

Booth just stood there still in slight shock about Brennan's reaction, staring at the closed glass door with closed blinds. "What on earth is going on?" He heard someone say. He turned his head and saw Cam few feet away from him with baffled, amazed look on her face. She had been away for few days in a medical conference that had been organized out of state. Behind Cam, Booth saw Hodgins, Angela and Zach standing near the stairs, staring at him with as confused and surprised look on their face as Cam had. "What happened? We heard Brennan's voice all the way to downstairs!" Ange asked. Booth didn't know how to explain what had happened. He didn't exactly know it himself either. "Eh, I think Bones got really mad at me." Booth tangled the words out from his mouth, as he walked away from the office door to Angela and others. "But, that doesn't sound like Dr. Brennan, she never yells, no matter how angry, she doesn't yell." Zach commented with his widened eyes sparkling making him look even feebler to Booth than he had already looked. "Zach's right. I've never seen, or heard, Brennan rage like that when angry." Angela frowned in worry. Both shrugged his shoulders that suddenly felt so much heavier than before. He felt bad about what had happened, he was slightly tired with worry about Brennan shadowing his mind.

Angela watched Booth's face. He looked like someone would have kicked him to his abdomen. He looked so sorry about all that Ange felt like she should hug him and tell that Brennan didn't mean it. She didn't know what Brennan had yelled and why exactly, but still she wanted to tell him that it wasn't intended. Booth mumbled that he had to go and Ange watched him shuffle away. To others he might have seemed normal and pretty ok, just slightly faint and quiet, but to Ange he looked like a poor tortured soul. He was like a puppy that had just gotten slapped for doing something wrong. "Oh my, Brennan really got him this time." Cam said with slight staggered look on her face. Looked like she didn't know what to do, laugh or cry.

Temperance sat down at her desk sighing. She stared at her hands. She had forgotten to wash the knuckles. She didn't care about it anymore, she had really snapped at Booth this time. Brennan pressed her hands to her temples, she now had a headache. Her heart was still pounding fast from the fight she had had with Booth. It was weird for her to feel like this; she had never raged at someone, she had been angry but not raged like that. Her feelings were so confusing, quilt, regret, irritation, anger yet faint relief. Temperance was once again rolling in pain in her thoughts. She felt like suffocating, she actually started to slightly gasp. This really was weird, even to her.

Ange gave a gentle knock on Brennan's office door. She didn't stop to wait for an answer, even though she slightly hesitated, but she opened the door. What she saw made her words she had planned to say get stuck in her throat. She saw Brennan with her head buried between her hands. Ange could hear her breathing heavily as she rubbed her forehead. "Tempe, are you ok?" Brennan raised her look to Ange; she looked startled by her sudden appearance. "Yeah, Im just---tired." Brennan answered. Her voice was so lame and faint that it made Ange even more worried.

Brennan couldn't get any power to her voice, she was drained. She just looked at Ange giving her a fast, comforting don't-worry-about-me- smile. This time this faint, fast smile didn't seem to work. Ange was still staring at her. It was silence for a while, but then Ange got out another question. "What happened?" It was then silent for a while.

Ange kept her eyes on Brennan who seemed to be searching for words. "Booth just poked his nose to something he shouldn't have. " Brennan finally answered with flat voice. Ange tilted her head, she wished she was going to continue the sentence, but instead Brennan glanced at the clock. "I think Im gonna head home now." Brennan picked up her jacket and her purse. Ange knew it was pretty late, but not the closing time, and usually Brennan was the last person to leave, now she was the first ones to leave.

Temperance passed Ange at the doorway and continued towards the stairs. She passed Hodgins, Zach and Cam along the way. "Bye!" She gave a wave to Angela and others without even looking back. She just wanted to get out of there. She felt the stare of her colleagues on her back, she wanted out. She rushed her steps.

Angela walked up to Hodgins and others. "Looks like something's up with our doc." Cam announced. Ange shot a glare at her, this made Cam frown "What?" Ange turned her look to Brennan who had gotten to the lab door and exited the Jeffersonian. "Something's wrong. Something's _really_ wrong" Angela said now looking Cam into her eyes. This made Cam look bit more serious. Ange wasn't kidding. Cam saw worry shining from her eyes. "Look, maybe it isn't so bad, she might just have a bad day, and she's tired." Cam said with more breezy voice. Angela sighed hoping this was true. But she knew that wasn't the deal.

Temperance walked to pick up some Chinese food. She had left her car a block away, it was a rush hour and she was not going to try and wait an hour to get to the restaurant. She made her way through the busy streets trying to avoid hitting people. Then suddenly she felt weird. She stopped and looked around. She felt like someone was staring at her but all she saw was a crowd, people rushing home from work, or to work. Then she turned and saw something. There was a black man staring at her between the crowding people. The man noticed Brennan had seen him, immediately he turned his look away. This made Brennan curse in her mind as she glanced around. She saw another black man staring at her too. And if she could see two, she knew there'd be more. And they were after her.

Brennan turned and started to run for her life. The two men realized they had been noticed and ran after Brennan. Temperance ran as fast as she could, not caring about crashing to people. She heard the sounds of annoyed people as the men running behind her hit them too. Everything flashed by her fast, she had no idea where she was running. She just ran as fast as she could.

Booth parked his car. He stepped out sighing and checking how much money he had in his wallet. He was ought to go and pick up some Chinese food from a place he had been couple of times before getting some food for him and Brennan. He still felt like crap for the fight he had had with Brennan, though he still didn't completely understand what had happened. Suddenly Booth heard few people cursing and yelling annoyed. He raised his look from the wallet.

Booth saw Bones running fast as hell across the street, hitting few people walking on the crowding street. She didn't even seem to care. Then after a second two guys appeared running on the street right after Brennan. Before Booth could react a big truck blocked his view and when it finally passed by they had all disappeared somewhere to the crowd. Booth desperately tried to run after them but after searching them from the crowd for a while he gave up. He dug up a cell from his jacket pocket and dialed Brennan's number. He waited but no one answered. His heart was beating fast from running in the crowd. He tried desperately to see them but he knew they were long gone already. _Shit. _


	7. Chapter 7

Brennan gasped as she opened the door of her apartment. She snug in and closed the door throwing her car keys on the small stand next to the coat rag. She had managed to get away from the men that had been after her in the crowd. Temperance then threw herself on the couch of her large living room. She took a deep breath trying to calm her heart beat. She closed her eyes and buried her face on the soft pillow of the couch. She wanted to fall asleep, and never wake up again. She didn't want to run anymore. She was also annoyed by the fact that she had had to leave her car behind. Her thoughts were interrupted by her cell phone that was ringing in her pocket.

Booth waited for Brennan to pick up. He had promised to himself that if she wouldn't answer after this call he'd call back up. He was just about to close his phone when he heard a click. "Brennan." He heard a faint voice answer from the line. "Bones! It's me are, you ok?" Booth sighed in relief when he heard her voice. "Booth? Yeah, Im ok. Why do you ask?" Her tone was slightly irritated.

She listened as Booth told he had seen her running like hell chased down by two guys. Her mind was racing trying to figure out an explanation to give. "I was just in a hurry, dunno about the men you presumed were chasing me. I didn't saw anyone." She said with a tone that sounded like she was undermining Booth and his run of thoughts. There was a short pause. "Ok." Booth then said, though he didn't sound very convinced but he also didn't have a point that would prove Brennan was lying. Another awkward silence filled the line. "Well I gotta go now. Bye." Brennan said and hung up. She stared at the cell phone. She didn't feel good about lying to Booth, especially when he clearly knew she was lying. She sighed getting up to search some painkillers for her excruciating head ache before going to bed and she reminded herself she would need to call Jasiri soon.

Booth opened his eyes grumbling as he woke up to the sound of his alarm clock. He hadn't gotten enough sleep, his mind was pondering on Brennan. He had actually even had a dream about her but didn't remember much of it anymore only that it had been confusing. He got up stretching. He was tired and desperately craving for coffee. Brennan was worrying him, he knew she was a though one but this time Booth didn't feel so confident she could handle it all. But he reminded himself he didn't even know what she had gotten herself into this time. Booth sighed; this pondering made him feel even more tired. _I've been around squints too much; Im starting to develop brainstorms. Brainstorms are not a good thing before the morning coffee_. His mind kept on wandering back to Brennan no matter how hard he tried not to think of her. He even wondered if she had survived through the night without being killed. He mentally slapped himself. Why would he immediately think Brennan was in danger? What Brennan had told in the phone before, could be true_. Maybe she was just in a hurry and the guys were just a random coincidence,_ Booth thought as he shuffled to the kitchen but he couldn't even convince himself properly.

Brennan was leaning over and old skeleton as someone suddenly waved a cup of coffee at her face. She startled stepping back then noticing it had just been Angela. "Well aren't we jumpy today." Angela said grinning as Brennan took the coffee cup she offered. " We? Using _"we"_ form when talking about someone else isn't logical." Temperance muttered as she took a sip from the coffee. Angela rolled her eyes. "Feeling' better than yesterday?" She asked tilting her head. Brennan gave a slight glance at her. "I'm fine." She answered shortly placing her cup on the desk nearby and returning to examine the remains on the lab table.

Angela left Brennan alone walking to the other side of the huge lab area. There she found Hodgins and Zach talking. They were probably playing The King of The Lab again. Angela grinned as she walked up to them. "No, that is not correct. Superman would win Batman. Batman is only human with lots of technology but Superman has super powers. He can always break Batman's technological supplies, he couldn't find new ones endlessly. Unlike Superman who has powers that seem to have no limits on how long he could use them And Batman getting hands on kryptonite is very unlikely. Looking at the statistical side of--" Angela heard Zach say. "Whoa! Ease on the geek cells Zach! We are talking about fictional comic characters and if someone asks which would win in a fight Batman or Superman, it really means they are asking which one you think is cooler!" Hodgins interrupted motioning with his hands. "A question hidden in a question? That is interesting." Zach said with pondering voice. Angela rolled her eyes once again and let out a chuckle. "Zach you need to practice on thinking less." She said tapping Zach's forehead with her finger.

Hodgins now focused on Angela. "Did Brennan say anything about yesterday?" He asked looking intrigued. "No. I asked if she was ok and she said she was fine. But she says that no matter how awful she feels." Angela answered with worried voice as she shrugged. "But maybe she really is fine." Angela heard someone say. She turned and saw that Cam had appeared behind her. Angela shrugged. "Well, for what we know is that the whole fight could have been just a storm in a tea cup." She admitted. "Or it could be something really, really bad." She added. "It's not good to make assumptions!" Zach rushed to comment. "A storm in a tea cup? Where did that come from? Sounds way too…British." Hodgins grinned at Angela then shifting his look to Zach. "And you sound too much like Brennan." Cam grinned at this. "Yes, Jack, it's a British saying." Angela rolled her eyes. "And Zach, you do quote Brennan a lot." Zach now gave a puppy-like-look at her. "I don't see anything wrong with that. Usually you quote the people, who have said something that has influenced your life a lot, and to me Dr. Brennan has said lot of things that have influenced in my life." He replied. "Dude, you missed the point." Hodgins sighed. Poor Zach was always bit out of things. It always made Angela smile.


	8. Chapter 8

Temperance saw Angela and others laughing together. Sometimes she felt like she would have been in the other side of the mirror. Not knowing how to step out and join the others. Brennan sometimes wished she'd know how to join them, but she always rather stayed aside. She was the one watching them from the great distance, so close but yet so far, keeping an eye on them. It was easier to keep secrets that way. It was easier to hide behind work.

Brennan turned her back at them as she headed to her office taking the cup of coffee with her. Now that she had stopped working her mind was filled with worry. She felt nervous but she wasn't so scared. Even though she should have been, it would have been a wise thing. Brennan was worried over those who were after her. And over those who were put to danger due to her past that so suddenly had become part of the present. Brennan was going to call Jasiri. She would have to call him, to warn him and tell to him _they_ had found her.

Mutegi focused his brooding look on the man sitting opposite of him. "When the guard told me I had a visitor you were the last person I could have ever imagined would visit me." He said and looked into the eyes of a man who didn't look too joyful. Jasiri Rodgers sat there if front of him, hands folded on the table. A long scar cut Jasiri's cheek. It was like a sign of all the things he had gone through_. Better than a scrap book. Only difference is that it doesn't tell about the good times. _Mutegi thought as he felt the observing look of the guard on his back.

Jasiri frowned as he looked at Mutegi's slightly wrinkled face. "I am not here to do small talk." He said to Mutegi. "Have you talked to a woman called Samantha Pickering?" Mutegi leaned back on his uncomfortable chair nodding as an answer. "I don't have much choice if I still want to live to see tomorrow." Jasiri frowned at this reply. "What makes you think tomorrow is worthy of seeing?" He then said with a slight ominous tone.

Mutegi noted this change of tone that could not suggest anything good. He sighed lowering his look to his hands. "No matter what the day brings along it's always worthy of seeing, my friend." Jasiri was quiet now for a while. "I am not your friend." Mutegi then heard him say. He raised his look back to Jasiri's scarred face. "You might not be my friend anymore, but I know I am still your friend." He said watching Jasiri's serious face. Mutegi knew Jasiri didn't trust him, not after he had let him down. It had happened a long time ago but Jasiri wasn't someone who forgot or let go of things. Mutegi still wished he could make things better. Talking to an agent about Jasiri's trusted one wasn't doing any good to this matter but at least he could now live longer. This time he had gotten Mutegi hoped he could use to try make things right. Make things better. His run of thoughts was interrupted by Jasiri's ringing cell phone. He watched as Jasiri quickly got up. Jasiri answered to his phone walking out of the visiting hall leaving Mutegi. Mutegi watched him go and made a promise to himself he'd return the trust between them, no matter how long it would take. No matter if it would kill him.

Jasiri sighed in relief as he heard Themba's voice on the line. She never much appreciated him calling her Themba, Jasiri knew that, but she allowed him to do so. That was a sign of respect towards him which he greatly appreciated. Temperance Brennan had once saved his life; he knew she could be trusted in any situation. That was the reason he called her Themba; the one he trusted. He listened as Themba told about the men who had chased her. She told how close it had been and warned him. "Don't worry. I will keep my eyes open. But you know we need to make some decisions soon." He said. There was a moment of silence. "I know." He heard her now faint tone then say.

After talking a while on the phone with Jasiri Temperance sat on her office chair. She just stared at her desk. There were few files on it lying amongst some papers. She would need to meet Jasiri soon and discuss over what had to be done. She knew what she would say. She would not run, no matter what. But she would want Jasiri to do so; he had too much to lose. He had his wife, kids, brother, nephew and others. Jasiri shouldn't even be in the situation they both now were. Temperance took a sip from her coffee that wasn't so warm anymore. She didn't care. She had too much in her mind to grab into little things such as too mild coffee.

Temperance went through things in her mind. Memories and thoughts flashed through her mind like lightning bolts. She saw pictured from her past. She remembered the time she had been in Africa with Jasiri. Those times she would never forget, no matter how hard she would try. People dying on her arms, that's what she saw. She could practically feel the dust of the sand in her lungs making her almost cough. The memories flashed in her mind faster and faster. The blood in her clothes, Jasiri handing her a gun, people crying silently, dead people lying on the ground, the silence. Temperance felt her headache announcing its presence once again. Brennan let her forehead rest on her palm closing her eyes.

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Thank you for ALL the wonderful comments. Sorry for not replying but I just start to feel like I'm repeating myself if I just say thank you, thank ya, thanks all the time lol. Plus I answered to some and don't remember which ones. So, eh, yeah. Anyways I tank you all, the nice comments really make me keep on writing and show that people actually read the story. : ) So, once again thank you.


	9. Chapter 9

Pickering listened as an agent reported all he knew about Dr. Brennan's moves during the previous day. He placed few photos on the desk for Pickering to see. The agent didn't have much to say, he had lost her twice along the day. Pickering sighed moaning in her mind why she was cursed with such incompetent employees who can't even keep an eye on one woman. Then she stopped to watch one of the pictures. She noticed something in it. It was a picture of Dr. Brennan walking to her car. But in the background she saw someone else. There was a man standing in the shadows. He was clearly hiding from Brennan. Pickering frowned. Something really weird was going on.

Booth sat at his desk trying to ponder on a case without thinking about Brennan. He wasn't doing a very good job at it. He stopped to play a round of "garbage can ball". He threw a crumbled paper to the garbage can near by. _"Score." _He sighed in his mind. The day had passed slowly and he could soon go home. It was raining heavily but he didn't care much about it. Suddenly his successful garbage game was interrupted by a voice that annoyed him more and more every time he heard it. "Agent Booth, I would like to ask some questions again." The professional voice of Samantha Pickering asked. "Ok, that's it. You want to have answers? Then come on." Booth said getting up from his seat and barging towards the nearest exit.

Soon Pickering found herself sitting inside the car of Agent Seeley Booth as he drove faster than he should have. It had started to rain. The water was pouring down from the sky making it hard to see through the windshield. Booth cursed the weather. The wipers didn't help much. Pickering was still bit confused but then she saw the sign of The Jeffersonian Institute. "Eh, Agent Booth this is really unnecessary." She stuttered. "Well I think it _is_ necessary. You want to know something about Bones and who would be better person to ask from than herself?" Booth said pulling over the car on the parking lot of The Jeffersonian. Pickering gave a glance at Booth who clearly was annoyed by the whole situation. "Let's go." He said hopping out of the car. Pickering followed thinking that objections wouldn't be appreciated at this point. The air was cold and Pickering wanted to get out of the rain so she quickened her steps following Booth gracefully through the front door of the institute.

Angela sat next to Hodgins who was examining some ground samples. She watched him poke the dirt with his hands that were covered with latex gloves. _What's with the dirt and men?_ She thought and grinned memorizing all the apartments of the guys she had dated. She remembered only one clean apartment. And she also remembered she dumped the guy the next day. To her it had been obvious that there were definite signs of him turning to gay. In the point when the guy had turned the conversation to fashion Angela had gotten confirmation to her suspicions. She now focused on watching Hodgins work. It was silent in the lab area. Only thing breaking the silence was the rain drumming against the skylight windows of the lab and the silent mumble of Hodgins who had a habit of talking to evidence at the times. Cam was examining some tissue on the table nearby and occasionally she mumbled something silently writing things down.

Angela suddenly heard rapid steps echoing from the entrance to the lab area. She raised her look and saw water dropping Agent Booth walking towards them followed by Agent Pickering, the woman Angela remembered from the slightly awkward interview about her loyalty. Hodgins and Cameron raised their look and interrupted their work with baffled looks on their faces. "Hey Ange, where's Bones?" Booth sighed with desperate look on his face. Angela tilted her head and she was just about to answer when she heard the voice of Brennan and Zach talking.

Booth moved his look from them and Angela to Brennan who entered the lab area talking with Zach. They were focused on some papers she was holding and seemed to be going over some plans on procedures relating to a case. "Bones!" Booth called out. Brennan raised her look from the papers with surprised look on her face. Quickly her surprised look turned to a blunt one when she noticed agent Pickering standing behind him. Booth turned to Agent Pickering motioning towards Brennan. "Here she is now. I believe you wanted to ask her some questions." He stepped away from Pickering's way.

Pickering felt awkward but didn't see any other choice but to pluck up her courage and try to survive the situation with some integrity. "Dr. Brennan - -" She started with steady voice but then suddenly they heard a loud noise of a slamming door from behind them. "Themba!" They heard someone yell with a loud, hasty voice. In that very same second, an African-American man rushed to Dr. Brennan gasping with a scared look on his face. "Jasiri." Pickering heard Brennan say with confused tone. Brennan frowned with surprised and extremely worried look on her face as she looked at the man who tried to get words out from his mouth. There was blood on his jacket and on his hands. The blood from his hands stained Brennan's lab coat as the man took a hold of her to keep him from falling to his knees. It was weird scenery to look at. A tall, muscular, blood stained man was hanging on Dr. Brennan's coat to keep him from falling. Then Pickering recognized the man. He was the man she had seen in a picture with Dr. Brennan.

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Sorry it took me a while to update. School is mixing my life once again. The next update will be made after 22nd of February for I have an exam week coming and it will keep me very busy till that day.


	10. Chapter 10

Booth had already grabbed his gun for the surprising appearance of the man who had blood on his clothes. But when Brennan seemed to know him Booth placed the gun back to his belt. _Themba?_ Booth asked in his mind raising his eyebrows. Pickering had a strange expression on her face and she seemed like she didn't know what to do. This made Booth want to ask what was wrong but he didn't want to do any gesture towards Pickering that would show he was as confused as she was. That would just be bit too much for his ego.

"They _killed_ them!" Jasiri cried. "_They_ killed my family!" His terrified eyes started to fill with tears. Temperance's heart skipped a beat. "We need to run! They are after _us_. They will _find_ us!" Jasiri yelled acting hysterical and trying to pull Brennan from her jacket towards the exit. Temperance felt fear crawling within her but she still fought against Jasiri's hold of her. They both stopped and stared at each other in the eye. Jasiri was clearly confused why she had stopped, why she fought against running. Brennan turned her look from him, like it would have been too much for her to see Jasiri's confused expression. She looked at the faces of her colleagues. They all looked like they wanted to ask what was going on but they were in too much of a shock to ask. Her eyes wandered from them to Booth. His usual boyish grin was gone and he was staring right into Brennan's eyes. She now looked at Jasiri again. "We really need to go!" Jasiri said with a pegging tone.

Booth took a step towards Brennan who somehow seemed torn between staying and going. "What the hell is going on?" Booth asked with frustrated tone as he grabbed Brennan's shoulder for keeping her from leaving. "Booth, this is a friend of mine." She answered with a faint voice. "And…" She paused looking at the faces of others surrounding them. "I need to go." She then said suddenly, and didn't resist the man dragging her anymore. Booth tightened his grip which made Brennan quibble. "Booth, let me go." She looked at him into eyes. Her expression was serious and her tone was almost begging. Booth had never heard her beg. "I really have to leave. I won't be here for a while. But I really need to leave." She said and solemnly Booth let the hold of her.

All seemed so surreal and weird. Angela watched as Brennan sprinted to running, following the strange man who had just suddenly popped to their lives. Angela watched as they ran through the exit into the cold rain. They all were staring at the door, even after when Brennan and the man had disappeared around the corner. After a while she took a seat next to Hodgins. "Something's wrong." She said the words that all had been thinking about. The surrounding tension of silence broke down. "Yeah." Hodgins confirmed with baffled look on his face. "Can't you call someone Booth?" Angela begged looking at Booth who still stared at the door. He turned with annoyed look on his face. "Like who? The feds would need more evidence. Besides, what would I say? A woman ran away from her work place with a guy?" He said motioning with his hands. Angela felt the worry strangling her throat.

Pickering listened to the others talk and dug a picture from her pocket. She looked at it with focused expression on her face, like she would have expected the picture talk to her. It was the photograph of Dr. Temperance Brennan and the man who Mutegi had called _Jasiri_. She tried to make sense of the things that had happened. Suddenly her cell phone rang startling her back to reality. "Pickering." She answered trying to block out the voices of Booth and others talking. "Mutegi has been killed." She heard the voice of one of her agents say. "_What_?!" Pickering practically yelled. "He was found brutally murdered by one of the inmates. The killer committed a suicide right after the murder, by strangling himself with his pants." The agent said bluntly, sounding like a news broadcast. Samantha hung up the phone staring at the picture she was holding. Her only source of information had just been killed. The other source, Dr. Brennan had left. And the third source had run away with her. "God damn it!" She practically screamed wanting to smash her cell phone against the floor.

Cameron was now confused as she looked at the raging blonde woman. She didn't have a clue on what was going on or who the woman was. The others, however, seemed to know her. Booth took a step towards the woman asking her if she was okay. "Who is she?" Cam lowered her voice leaning towards Angela. She gave her a quick glance before answered with a lowered voice. "Agent Samantha Pickering, from the State Department." Cameron frowned. "State Department? What's she doing here?" Angela now turned to look at her. She shrugged. " Dunno this time. The last time she was here to define if we were a security risk." Angela said rolling her eyes. "I'm surprised she didn't take any action even though some of us didn't seem so good." Angela mumbled and then she walked to Booth and Agent Pickering leaving Cameron with confused look on her face.

Angela saw Booth taking a photo Pickering had held. She looked at it from behind Booth's shoulder, which was difficult for Booth was tall and he had wide shoulders. Finally she managed to see the picture. "Oh my god." She gasped and grabbed the picture from Booth. "Is that _blood _on their clothes?" She said feeling sick about even thinking how it had ended up on their clothes. She looked at the picture of Brennan who was wearing military clothes. She frowned_. Brennan didn't go to military, did she?_ Angela was confused and her worry grew when she recognized the man from the picture to be the same man who had been in the lab only a while ago.

Booth grabbed the picture back from Angela and was going to answer when suddenly all the lights went off. The computers shut down. All the electricity was gone. All was dark. Only light coming in was from the skylight windows. It was still raining but the sun occasionally shone through the dark clouds as it rained heavily. "What the hell? What happened?" Booth said with irritated tone. "Dunno, dude. The power went down." Hodgins shrugged. "Yes, I know _that_, but _why_?" Booth said with pretentiously calm tone. Hodgins shrugged. "The power generator should have gotten the electricity back on already." Zach commented glancing around.

Suddenly they all heard a loud crash from the entrance door. They turned and saw some African-American men barging in with rifles and other guns. The men yelled something at the same time. it sounded so confusing Angela couldn't understand them till one of them shoot in the air with his rifle yelling them to get down and not to move. The bullets from the gun broke couple of the skylight windows. Angela threw herself on the floor as did the others. The shards fell from the high ceiling and spread everywhere. From the broken windows the rain started to pour in. Angela covered her face not having the courage to look what the men were doing. She only heard that one of them was clearly talking to Booth. "We are not stupid. Give us your gun." Angela was terrified. Only thing she was able to think was that there were six of the men. She mentally slammed herself over the fact she was thinking about stuff that wouldn't help her in any way.

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**yeah…decided to update anyway. I made a cover for the story. Anyone who wants to see it just e mail me or what ever and I will give you the address where to see it. **


	11. Chapter 11

Angela plucked up the courage to raise her head from the floor just enough to see Booth. He kicked his gun away in order of the man pointing a gun at him. Angela was so scared that tears run down her face. The men with guns cornered all of them to lean against the forensic platform. They were sitting in a row and images of execution flashed through Ange's mind. She was now right next to Booth and she leaned against him slightly searching for security. Camille sat on his other side looking almost as scared as Ange, but she also seemed angered. "What the hell is this?" She asked from Booth who focused on just staring at the gunmen.

Booth disregarded Cam's question and kept an eye on every gesture the gunmen did. His sniper instincts made him do so. He looked for any weak links, anything that would signal what will happen. He was worried; the gunmen didn't wear masks. They didn't care whether they would be able to recognize them. The men didn't signal any weakness; they weren't seemingly nervous, they were on top of things. This was a planned hit. Well planned. The men had walky-talkies and some sort of transmitters in their ears. Same kind as many government agents had. Two men were guarding Booth and the others. They didn't move or talk. They only stared at them and pointed their rifles at them like there wouldn't be anything else left in the world but them. They were seemingly well trained and they had only one mission in the crew. They were there to guard the hostages. No matter what would happen between the other men behind them, they would just keep their eye on the hostages. The other gunmen talked something with lowering voices and Booth was desperate to hear what it was.

Suddenly the entrance doors flew open. Two more gunmen came in dragging two people against the floor. Booth's eyes grew wide as he saw that the two people being dragged were Bones and the man who had run away with her. He saw Brennan twitch and struggle but it didn't seem to have any effect on the strong man dragging her. Brennan's struggling seemed weak, she was tired. Soon Booth saw why as the man dragging her threw her in front of Booth, Angela, Jack, Cam and Zach, straight on the shards of the skylight window. Brennan didn't even have the strength to raise her head from the wet, shard covered floor. Her face was filled with wounds and blood. The skin of her knuckles was broken. She had fought. She had fought a lot. Brennan could barely keep her eyes open as they had started to swell. She looked at Booth with tired look. She had given up. _Come one Bones. You can't just give up._

Every bone of Brennan's body was hurting. The glass shards on the floor pressed against her cheek and arms. Her mouth was filled with the irony taste of blood. Every move she made hurt, even breathing hurt. Thinking hurt. She was so tired that she wanted to just close her eyes and never open them again. She looked at Booth whose face expression was weird, like he would have wanted to tell her something. Brennan was too tired to try to figure out what it would have been. From the corner of her eye she saw one man dragging Jasiri away, heading towards the stairs. Brennan was too tired to do a thing. She closed her eyes thinking she would rest just for a second, even though her brains told her this wasn't a good sign.

Suddenly one of the men pulled her head up. Brennan's eyes flew open surprised. "Nice to see you again, Doctor Brennan." One of the gunmen said releasing his hold of her. She managed to keep herself sitting and she looked at the man talking to her. He looked slightly familiar. Brennan dug his name from her memories. "Charlie." She finally said. "No, not _Charlie_. He is dead, I'm sure _you_ remember his death." The man said grinning. "I'm his brother dearest." He said with angered tone and let the smile melt from his face. Brennan remembered the painful memory as Charlie's brother stared at her. Suddenly the man kicked her in the abdomen as hard as he could. Brennan felt struck of incomprehensible pain as the kick hit a place where the other guy had hit her too. Brennan cramped from the pain hunching her upper body. She coughed intensively.

Angela watched Brennan get hurt. It made her feel sick. She saw Brennan curl up from the pain and cough like it would have been hard for her to breathe. In Angela's horror she was coughing blood. Every time Brennan coughed blood ran down from her mouth. Then the guy who had kicked her signalled something to two guys who immediately took their places on both sides of Brennan. They picked her up and dragged her away from the sight. They carried her up the stairs and they disappeared around the corner that lead to an aisle. That aisle would lead them deeper inside the hallways of Jeffersonian making it impossible for Angela to figure out where they were taking her friend.

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Yeah, it took me a while to update. It was due to the exam week I talked about earlier. But now I'm gonna try update more often. This chapter is a bit shorter than usual but be patient. I just wanted to give you at least something to give ease on the waiting. So, enjoy.


	12. Chapter 12

Temperance let the man drag her up the stairs to the corridor, not even trying to make it easier for him but she didn't struggle either. She had gotten several hits to her head as Jasiri and she had been ambushed just around the corner of Jeffersonian. The security had tried to help but the men had shot them before they could get to them. This had lead to the point where Jasiri and Brennan had fought for their lives. After a while of fighting the men had somehow managed to knock out Jasiri and not long till Temperance was down too. The man who was now dragging her along the corridor had a tight grip and he was carrying a rifle. As Brennan stared at the gun her hopes for escape slowly died. She only wondered where Jasiri had been taken to.

The man threw Brennan on the floor of the corridor. He sat on a chair that was next to an office door pointing his rifle on Brennan who had stayed on the ground in the position he had thrown her to. She didn't feel like getting up. She wanted to think. Brennan thought about passed days and tried to collect every detail of them. She remembered what the lab area had looked like few minutes ago, the positions of the men and where Booth, Pickering and her colleagues had been sitting. She thought for a long time, calmly collecting her strength. Brennan noticed the man guarding her relax more as he saw she didn't move. She knew this was her chance and that the lives of her friends would depend on it.

Brennan collected all her remaining strength and attacked the man. Her fast, sudden attack surprised the man and he opened fire. It was too late for him; Brennan was too close and he missed, as she hit his hand as hard as she could. The one single hit lead to a messy struggle. Temperance used her martial arts training and quickly got hold of the gun that had minutes ago seemed so horrifying. Without any hesitation she opened fire at the man. The man fell dead on the floor. His empty eyes stared at Temperance from the floor. His face was stuck in an awful grin of surprise and anger. Blood spatters decorated the walls of the corridor along bullet holes. There was now even more blood on Brennan's face than earlier. She stepped over the body not caring that she stepped on the pool of blood that had slowly started to spread. She threw away the gun that had emptied already. Temperance smothered all the uncomfortable feelings that killing a person caused in her. She focused to think. She had a plan, a sketchy one, but still a plan.

Booth stared at the man who seemed to be some sort of leader in the crew. He had referred himself as the brother of someone called Charlie. Booth felt frustrated; he couldn't get the hang of things. He couldn't figure out who the men were and what they wanted from Brennan. This made it hard for him to make any effect on things; he wouldn't be able to save them with any trick. He frowned and stared in front of him like a statue, without blinking. Time passed slowly as he focused on thinking. His pondering was interrupted when he heard a series of distant gunshots. They came from somewhere upstairs. Everyone, except the two gunmen guarding Booth and others, raised their look to the stairs. It became silent again. The supposed leader of the gunmen grabbed his walkie-talkie "Dave? What happened?" He asked and waited for answer. No one replied from the other end. "_Shit_" The leader mumbled. "Dave's dead." The other men seemed to now get alerted and ready to shoot anything that moved. They raised their guns sweeping through the lab with their eyes. They were prepared to shoot. They were agitated and Booth was surprised by this, but they also were determinate.

The men started to sneak apart from each other observing the surroundings, searching for something. They pointed their guns towards every shadow and every little sound got their attention. Booth then saw something move on the metallic corridor upstairs right above one of the men. Booth could see someone's silhouette flash against the light coming from the window. It had been only for a second but Booth had recognized it. _Brennan_. He quickly moved his eyes from her so he wouldn't give away her location. Booth couldn't decide whether he was glad to see her or was he scared. Her life was in danger and she was up to something. He didn't know what and that made him worried almost as worried as the day when he thought a serial killer had grabbed his son. He felt the uncomfortable strangle of anxiety squeeze his chest.

Brennan crawled on the aisle that was made from metal structures. She was right above the lab area. She saw the gunmen walk around and she saw her friends leaning against the forensic platform. There were two men guarding them, the others were looking for her. One man would be guarding Jasiri who was held somewhere in the Jeffersonian. Brennan's eyes searched for Charlie's brother, William, who seemed to be the leader of the gunmen. She saw him walking on the other side of the lab area. One man was almost right beneath Brennan and one other was on the other side of the lab area near William. _One down, five to go._ She started to develop a plan. And that plan could well be her last. Brennan dug keys from the pocket of her pants. She squeezed them to her hand. For a moment she closed her eyes. Pain waved through her body but she decided not to listen to the pain. She took a deep breath saying good bye to her life in her mind. Her eyes flew open and she threw her keys as far on the corridor as she could. The noise the keys made as they hit the corridor got the attention of the man who was closest to Brennan. This was her chance.

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Yeah, took a while to update again. In my defence: I have one hell of a flu! Anyways; enjoy! And thank you all for the lovely comments again!


	13. Chapter 13

Booth was thinking with his sniper brain more than ever. He couldn't see a way out for the two gunmen never let them out of sight. They never moved, never looked away, never spoke. Booth frowned and dug his pants pocket. He felt Angela stare him hoping he had found a way out. But Booth hadn't; he dug up a coin. He kept his serious, frowning look on one of the guards. The guard stared back with his blank eyes. Booth rolled the coin between his fingers. Suddenly he closed the coin between his thumb and index finger. With one fast move he threw the coin straight to the gunman's forehead. In response the man only blinked keeping his dull look.

"What are you doing Agent Booth???" Pickering asked with agitated tone. Her eyes had grown wide as she was more nervous than ever. Booth shrugged and a boyish grin rose to his lips. "He was starting to look a little sleepy!" Pickering stared at Booth with wide eyes like she couldn't believe what he had just said. She looked away from Booth and shook her head thinking Seeley was going insane. "What are the chances of us getting out alive?" She sighed talking more to herself than anyone else. "0,4 per cent." Pickering heard someone's flat tone answer. She turned and saw Dr. Zach Addy glance at her. "And that is almost…none." He muttered sitting and squeezing his legs that were folded against his chest. "Shut up Zach!" Angela snapped and smacked him on the back of his head. Pickering had tangled in to his words. _0,4 per cent? Jesus_!

Booth continued on staring at the gunmen wondering whether throwing another coin would get some action. His slightly stupid thinking was interrupted by something he knew was coming but was still surprising. From the shadows of the metallic structures that created a corridor of the second floor Brennan suddenly attacked at the gunman closest to her. She was like a lynx that suddenly jumped on its prey from up on the tree. The gunman fell on the floor from the sudden add of weight. Booth stared at the struggle not able to do anything due to the two guards that pointed their gun at him and others. The guards didn't move even though they well knew there was a struggle behind them. Brennan was rolling on the floor with the guy. It was just a mess of hands, feet, hits and kicks. "Kick his ass!" Booth roared. He had his hope now; his hope was Dr. Temperance Brennan, the smartest woman he knew. Worry was still shadowing his mind. Brennan was badly injured and the other gunmen must have heard the sounds of struggle.

Angela couldn't believe what she saw. In a way she knew Brennan would fight, but like this? Booth shouted like he would have been watching a boxing match and it made Angela want to punch him in the face. It was her best friend who was there fighting for her own life and their life. The next move Angela saw Brennan do however shocked her. Brennan took a firm hold of the man's neck squeezing it like to strangle him, but instead she made a quick twisting move. A series of strange popping and crunching sounds filled the air. Angela felt sick as she saw the man just fall on the floor like a dead fish. He didn't move anymore. Brennan had broken his neck. Angela stared at the motionless body feeling like throwing up.

Booth's eyes grew wide and his jaw dropped slightly as if he would have needed to gasp to catch any breath. "Jesus, Bones!" He snapped but Brennan was too busy to hear this. She was now hanging on the throat of one of the gunmen who were guarding them. Her face was striped by blood, sweat and wounds but her determination undermined those signs of weakness. It only took few seconds till they could hear another series of pops echo in the lab. And once again man fell on the floor without getting up again. Even for Booth, who had been an army sniper and killed a lot of people, this seemed brutal and shocking. Maybe because he had done his hits from the distance and not by his bare hands as Brennan was now doing. The other gunman was starting to get really nervous and finally he broke and turned pointing his rifle towards Brennan, but it was too late: Brennan was already right beside him. She grabbed his hand twisting it to the point when it got dislocated. The man dropped is gun screaming and roaring something in foreign language that Booth couldn't understand but he knew the words weren't exactly polite.

Angela didn't want to watch when Brennan attacked their other guard but she couldn't help it. Brennan had a grin of pain and survival on her face. Only thing she was thinking was how to stay alive, at least Angela _hoped_ that's what she was thinking for the other option was that she only thought how to keep _them_ alive. Thinking _that_ would mean Brennan wasn't caring about her _own_ survival. Brennan grabbed the neck of the struggling, raging man and Angela knew what was coming. She closed her eyes and covered her ears, she didn't need to see third repeat of something that would send her to years of therapy even if she had seen it just once. She opened her eyes after a while and the man who had been standing on his two feet, roaring and screaming just couple of seconds ago was now lying on the floor next to the other two men. And just like the others; he wasn't moving. Brennan was standing there middle of the body dump she had created. There was blood all over her and she was gasping. Angela saw her ands were shaking slightly; she looked like any touch on her would make her fall to her knees. Only one feature in her was in conflict with this; her eyes. She had a determinate look in her eyes; they were full of will to fight till the last breath.

Temperance was tired, she was so tired, but the adrenaline filled her body keeping her up. "Run for crying out loud! _Run_!" She gasped at her friends as she saw William and one of this gunmen run towards them. Angela, Zach, Hodgins, Pickering and Cameron obeyed immediately barging towards the exit but Booth was still there. "Booth, _please_!" Brennan begged as she saw William's gunman raise his gun. "_Run_!" Brennan almost cried the word out from her mouth.

Booth stared at Brennan who was now acting the way he had ever seen her act. She seemed to mean her words more than ever. Brennan was constantly looking over his shoulder and Booth knew there was something that made Brennan beg for him to leave. Suddenly Brennan's desperate look changed as she grabbed Booth's jacket collar. She pushed him towards the exit where others had disappeared to while ago. In that very same second someone opened gunfire.

Brennan threw herself to the floor as did Booth. William's gunman had opened fire. Brennan crawled to the direction of the men leaving Booth next to the exit. She was trying to get the full attention of the gunmen so Booth could get out. Brennan crawled over the shards of glass that had come from the skylight window. She begged in her mind that Booth would have the sense to get out. She hoped more than anything he wouldn't start to play a hero. He had a child! Parker would need him. Brennan knew how it felt like to grow without a father and it was something she didn't want for Booth's child.

Brennan was now leaning her back against the forensic platform. Her breathing was rapid and the thought that she would not survive from this whispered behind every thought she had about how to survive. The fact was; she did not have time to think anymore. She saw William standing before her with his gunman. William pointed his rifle at Temperance and she looked at his annoying face expression. He was clearly thinking he was now the king of the situation. Brennan hated to admit but he really was. He had the control over everything that would happen. He was the man with the gun. "You were supposed to live but…" William said leaving the sentence unfinished as he aimed his gun directly to Temperance which seemed to finish the sentence for him. _That's it. This is it. _Brennan closed her eyes. There was no way to escape now. She heard clicks from the gun. Brennan allowed her body finally to give up. She was exhausted and in pain. She was feeling nausea for she most likely had a concussion. William opened fire, but so did someone else. All Brennan could feel was enormous pain. The pain made her breathing harder. She slowly opened her eyes and saw lots of blood.

Booth saw one of the gunmen point his gun at Brennan. He ran next to the nearest gunman who Brennan had killed and took his rifle. The problem was; Booth wasn't fast enough. William opened the fire half a second before Booth. But Booth was right behind him as he opened fire at the two gunmen. He still was too late. As the men fell on the floor he could see Brennan. She had eyes open, she was lying on her side, cheek pressed against the floor that was now covered with blood and she was still moving slightly, she was shaking which was not a good sign. Brennan was looking at the blood on the floor in front of her. She started to cough silently and a line of blood started to run from her mouth. Rain fell down on her from the broken skylight window. It drummed against her and made the blood on the floor spread even faster. Even though it was raining the sun was shining from between the clouds. The pale rays of the sun hit Brennan making her look so pale that it looked like she wouldn't have any blood at all running in her veins. Only thing telling otherwise was the blood Booth saw bleeding from her.

Suddenly Brennan stopped moving. Her eyes didn't move, they were open but the look in them was blank and still. Booth ran to her even though he knew in his heart what had just happened. Booth kneeled next to Brennan's blood-covered body and tried her pulse. There was no pulse. _God dammit! No!_ He turned Brannan on her back and took his jacket using it as a pressure to Brennan's wounds. "You ass hole!" He suddenly yelled at Brennan whose empty eyes stared at something incomprehensible. They were staring at nothing. _Why did she have to die saving me? _The worry broke out as anger from Booth. He was mad he let Brennan to die saving him. He was mad she let herself to die. Soon the anger switched to deep worry and desperation. Booth started CPR by pressing Brannan's chest. He heard sirens from outside. _The others must have called for help_. Booth had never been this glad to hear the familiar sirens of the emergency vehicles.

**Later, Early Next Morning:**

Booth sat on a chair next to a hospital bed. The chair was small, hard and uncomfortable, as if they wouldn't want anyone to have visitors for longer than five minutes. Angela had nodded off on the chair next to him and how she had done that was something Booth couldn't understand. Booth was looking at the woman lying on the hospital bed covered by white cloth that seemed almost as thin as paper. _How can they call that a blanket?_ It was silent in the room. Only thing breaking the cold silence was the silent beeping of the vital monitor that was attached to the woman on the hospital bed. The monitor was showing the vitals of Dr. Temperance Brennan: The woman who had saved his life, his and her friends' lives.

Brennan had suffered a clinical death. Her heart had stopped beating and the paramedics had to shock her heart several times before it began to beat again. Booth and the others had seen how they shocked her many times but she didn't have a reaction. It had really scared them. Angela had fallen on her knees crying hysterically and Cameron and Hodgins had picked her up. She had clung to Hodgins and continued her crying trying to say something between her hysterical crying but no one could understand what she had been saying. Others had just stared in shock as the paramedics had closed the ambulance doors leaving the scene in hurry. The police had been all over the place and Booth had gotten bombed by questions but in the end they saw he was in whole other world at that time so they said they would ask him questions later.

Booth had been at the hospital for the whole night. He stretched looking at Brennan. She had a tube piercing her throat helping her to breathe. She looked so weak that Booth suspected if this woman really even was Temperance Brennan. Maybe it had been just a bad dream? Maybe Brennan was somewhere else, digging up skeletons from mass graves of Nepal or something. Booth stood up from the chair and walked to Brennan's bed. He looked at her. There was an IV going to her hand, pumping god knows what to her veins. He gently took her hand. It was cold and pale, but yet the skin was smooth and soft. "Come on Bones. Just open your eyes." Booth muttered sighing silently.

"She won't hear you." Booth heard someone say softly behind him. Booth turned and saw the man who had introduced himself as Jasiri standing in the doorway holding two cups of coffee. Angela was still sleeping. Booth frowned but accepted the coffee cup Jasiri offered to him as he entered. Jasiri had been there all night with Booth and Angela. But he had been there as a patient for hours. Doctor had stitched couple of the wounds he had gotten from the fighting he had done against the gunmen who had knocked him out and snatched Temperance. The gunman who had guarded Jasiri had panicked when he had seen the police and he had shot himself. The police and paramedics had picked up Jasiri and sent him to hospital right after Brennan. "Why do you think she doesn't hear me?" Booth asked as he sipped the warm coffee. "She's in whole other world." Jasiri answered not bothering to explain it any better. He focused on his coffee too and Booth was left to wonder.

The sun was shining through the blinds of the window. Angela woke up seeing Booth and Jasiri drinking coffee. She yawned slightly and greeted the two men as they noticed her waking up. She looked at Temperance with hopeful eyes, but she still wasn't awake. Angela had managed to calm herself and get over the hysterical shock. She had cried so much that she wasn't able to cry anymore and now she was clinging to even the thinnest strings of hope to see Brennan open her eyes again. Fortunately the doctors had said Brennan had a pretty good chance of waking up even though she had suffered from lack of oxygen and has almost bled to death. She had various bullet wounds. Bullets had pierced her chest and abdomen. She had gotten six hits from the bullets and it was lucky she was still alive. Suddenly Angela noticed a serious looking man at the doorway. He wore a dark suit and a tie. His face was wrinkly but he most likely was only in his forties. Greyish hair was tidily combed back and even his 6 o'clock shadow looked tidy. Angela checked her watch. _No, it's 8 o'clock shadow now._

Booth glanced at the man who was at the doorway knocking silently on the side of the door and recognized him immediately. The man was Jason Hawk but one thing Booth didn't understand was why he was there. More surprising was that Jasiri seemed to know Hawk too as he greeted him with a nod. In fact Jasiri seemed to even have a better clue than Booth had on why Hawk was there. Booth greeted Hawk with a nod. "Seeley, Jasiri." Hawk greeted and moved his look to Angela who he apparently didn't know. "Angela, this is Agent Jason Hawk from the CIA, Agent Hawk, this is Angela Montenegro." Booth introduced and Hawk nodded at Angela too. "We have taken over the investigation of the happenings of the Jeffersonian. We have a pretty good approximation of what happened but I still need to ask some questions from you Agent Booth." Hawk said going straight to business not caring about pleasantries. "Mr. Wyatt we have already questioned." He said referring to Jasiri who nodded at this as he drank his coffee as long as it was still warm.

Booth sighed and was about to answer to Hawk but he was interrupted by a strange voice. "Temperance!" He heard Angela then squeal. Booth turned and saw Brennan with opened eyes. She was coughing from the tube that was shoved down her trachea. The tube that had been helping her breathe was now more in a way of her breathing. Jasiri went to the corridor yelling for a doctor. Booth went to Brennan and he was almost crying from happiness, almost. He didn't show it to Brennan. He just gave a wide grin as Brennan looked at him with tired, slightly confused eyes. "Well it was about time to wake up Bones!" Booth said to Brennan who managed to give him a faint smile. Angela was hugging her like she would never want to let go of Brennan, the woman she considered as her best friend. Brennan couldn't speak but she moved her lips like she would say: _"Don't call me Bones."_ It made Booth grin even more widely as he and Angela backed away for the doctor had to check up on her. _She was awake. She was alive!_

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**So, This was the end of What Once Was Left Behind**. **Made it a longer chapter just for your pleasure as you wished for longer chapters so much.** **I've gotten amazing feedback which I really enjoy getting. I want to thank you all from those; it's the thing that makes me continue my story. Keep on commenting!**

**Now to the wonderful news: The story is going to have a sequel! **

**Questions were left without answering in this story so…the sequel will focus on those more. Questions like _"What Brennan really did?"_ and _"Who were the gunmen?"_ are the main topics of the sequel: Deadly Deeds. **

**Deadly Deeds has a cover picture so by e-mailing me I will send you a link to it.**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I hope you enjoyed the story! **


	14. The mighty end note

This story is my old production and I realize there are a lot of typos and other errors in it. I also rushed it through. I've evolved as a writer and will most likely end up re-writing this one, because really, it bugs me to death all these errors and short chapter. Still can't understand why people actually like this one but I'm grateful you've ignored my mistakes and actually favorited it and so on. I even got flamers on me calling Camille Cameron which was amusing. (_yeah sorry about that, back then I watched a show with a Cameron in it and I had the habit of connecting Cam to the name Cameron_) Now you are probably wondering why am I doing this update? Well just to get a peace of mind...many have liked the story and asked questions etc. So this is partially for those asky askersons out there. I also want to say to those who still put this on their alert lists after all this time: Go and follow the sequel instead. You get much more fulfillment out of following that one.

So, one beautiful day, this will be re-written! Because it bugs the hell out of me...

Enjoy the FF world! Have a nice day!

-_Tempy_-


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